MTV Movie & TV Awards Winners Support WGA Strike, Show a Complete Waste of Time

This could have been an email.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is just call it. That didn’t happen with the “MTV Movie & TV Awards,” as the production made last-minute changes almost up to the point of air — and the result was even messier than expected.

The launch of the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike is what triggered this change. Almost immediately, Drew Barrymore stepped down as host in solidarity with the WGA union, though she said she’d return next year. From there, the show quickly dumped its red carpet and ultimately its live broadcast.

By the time it reached the air, it was little more than a clips show with an awkward narrator announcing the categories and winners spliced throughout a slew of “Flashback” moments … to remind us when this show used to be fun!

Drew Barrymore Drops Out of Hosting MTV Movie & TV Awards In Support of Writers Strike

“As we carefully navigate how best to deliver the fan first awards’ show we envisioned that our team has worked so hard to create, we’re pivoting away from a live event that still enables us to produce a memorable night full of exclusive sneak peaks, irreverent categories our audience has come to expect, and countless moments that will both surprise and delight as we honor the best of film and TV over the past year,” said executive producer Bruce Gillmer in a statement this past week.

It was an ambitious plan with very little time to execute it. We’ll give them credit for filling the full two hours, but that’s about all we can praise. Even Tom Cruise accepting his award from the cockpit of his fighter jet wasn’t enough to save the show — though to be fair, isn’t that kind of expected from him at this point?

With so little time to come up with a true backup plan, and maybe concerned about how much money they’d invested already, the show went ahead with all the pre-taped bits featuring Drew Barrymore interacting with the year’s big movies and TV shows.

'Vanderpump Rules' Star Lala Kent Drops Out of MTV Movie & TV Awards In Support of Writers Strike

They were cute enough and totally in line with the type of silly things that usually go on with this show, but there was no on-screen context as to why we were seeing so much of Drew. Someone not paying attention to the news would have just found it odd, though we’ll never complain about a Josie Grossie appearance!

About half of the winners sent in pre-taped acceptance speeches, ironically including both Barrymore and Lala Kent, who notably stepped away from the live show — before it was scrapped by MTV — in support of the WGA strike.

Several of those winners who did send in recorded messages included messages of support to the writers in their acceptance speeches, including Barrymore. “I want to think Chelsea White, Christina Kinon and Liz Koe, our amazing, amazing writers,” she said. “This is definitely for them and for every single person who makes this show. There’s no I in Mine, just Ours and We. Thank you, From Us and Me.”

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Joseph Quinn, who took home Breakthrough Performance for his fan-favorite turn as Eddie Munson on “Stranger Things” also gave a shout-out to the writers, crediting them for how fans came to embrace his outsider character.

“I don’t think that people would connect with a character like Eddie, or others in the ‘Stranger Things’ universe without compassionate, intelligent quality writing,” he said. “Being a writer is a hard job and it deserves respect. And I think the more people respect each other, we can cultivate a kinder, more inclusive, more collaborative environment for everyone. Wouldn’t that be nice.”

He also got in a quick joke about the fanatacism of “ST” fandom, and their love for Eddie, by thanking them for their support. “I am incredibly grateful for you,” he said to his fans. “Little bit scared of you, but ultimately I am utterly, utterly indebted to you, so thank you.”

Comedic Genius Award winner Jennifer Coolidge sent in her two messages (she also won for Most Frightened Performance) while eating some real popcorn in classic Coolidge fashion. In her first speech, she threw her support behind the WGA strike as a fellow union member.

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“As a proud member of SAG, I stand here before you tonight, you know, side by side with my sisters and brothers of the WGA that are fighting right now, fighting for the rights of artists everywhere,” she said. “I think of the words of Shakespeare, where he once said, you know, ‘The play is the thing.’ Well, I don’t want to put words in his mouth or anything, but I think what he really meant was, ‘It’s everything!’

After their win for Best Competition Series, the stars of “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars” continued their message of acceptance and pushing for visibility of LGBTQIA+ kids, while shouting down anti-trans and LGBTQIA+ legislation across the country.

“It’s so important to hear queer and trans stories from queer and trans people,” said Jinkx Monsoon, “to meet the artists behind the artistry, and see the human beings there, so we can have empathy for one another.”

2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards Nominations: The Complete List

In the spirit of what we said above, that this could have been an email, here’s how that could have looked:

To whom it may concern,

Please find below the winners of the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards. “The Last of Us” was the night’s big winner, taking home three Golden Popcorns, followed by Jennifer Coolidge, “Stranger Things,” and “Scream Vi,” each taking home two awards, apiece.

• BEST HERO – Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us”
• BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE – Tom Cruise, “Top Gun: Maverick”
• BEST DOCU-REALITY SERIES – “The Kardashians”
• COMEDIC GENIUS AWARD – Jennifer Coolidge
• BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE – Joseph Quinn, “Stranger Things”
• BEST REALITY ON-SCREEN TEAM – Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney, Scheana Shay & Lala Kent, “Vanderpump Rules”
• BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE – Adam Sandler, “Murder Mystery 2”
• BEST DUO – Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
• BEST FIGHT – Gale Weathers v Ghostface, “Scream VI”
• MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE – Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus”
• BEST COMPETITION SERIES – “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars”
• BEST KISS – Madison Bailey & Rudy Pankow, “Outer Banks”
• BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY: “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me”
• BEST SHOW – “The Last of Us”
• BEST MUSICAL MOMENT – Sofia Carson, “Come Back Home,” “Purple Hearts”
• BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW – Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday”
• BEST VILLAIN: Elizabeth Olsen, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”
• BEST KICK-ASS CAST: “Stranger Things”
• BEST SONG: Taylor Swift, “Carolina,” “Where the Crawdads Sing”
• BEST HOST – Drew Barrymore, “The Drew Barrymore Show”
• BEST MOVIE – “Scream VI”

Thank you for your time and enjoy the rest of your evening — including the two hours we just saved you.

Yours truly,

MTV

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